The Forgotten Brummie

This book is about the life and legacies of Sir Francis Galton. This Birmingham born Victorian polymath made important discoveries and inventions across a wide area of knowledge, including exploration, statistics, meteorology and fingerprinting. However, the main focus of his life's work was on the understanding of heredity, and its application to what he called 'eugenics', the science of good breeding. He suggested that the quality of a particular race - and by extension the whole human species - could be improved over several generations, by encouraging the procreation of the eminent, and discouraging the procreation of the less well-endowed. Unfortunately, these ideas were adapted by various groupings - notably the Nazis in Germany - in an inhuman way. Galton's name and achievements were tarred with the same brush and, as a consequence, were not to be mentioned in polite society. Fast forward to today, however, and we see how many important issues, from birth control through education, unemployment and racism to assisted dying - are rooted in eugenics. David Allen argues that it is time to re-examine what Galton actually said and, in the process, restore the reputation of this inspiring Brummie.